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Everyone has their little routines for arranging and breaking up their days. The most interesting ones are those that give you a break from deadlines, when things are coming at you ten times every hour and you need to recalibrate a little just to breathe. There must be a moment to reorganize and process information.

For some, that’s Tea Time.

“Tea Time” has been part of my routine since I was a child. As soon as I came home from school, my mother would stop what she was doing and she would make me a cup of tea. This was usually consumed with several biscuits (cookies) while I debriefed my mom on my day. Afterwards I would watch a little TV before starting my homework.

Going to college didn’t change the routine that much, as tea and ideas were shared with fellow students, usually around 4pm, the same time I used to have tea with my mom.

As I type this it is just after 4 and a cup of tea sits by my side. The making of a cup of tea entails a certain ritual, reinforced with science, and cannot be hurried. The most important factor is the first, the proper ritual, and is why you cannot get a decent cup of tea from a diner in America.

Step 1: The water MUST be BOILING. Maybe ‘hot water’ is good enough for coffee but for tea to brew correctly, the water must be boiling. The water bubbles when I drop my tea bag in it. Yes, I use tea bags. I do prefer to use a teapot but I rarely get around to having a second cup so why waste water or tea.

Step 2: The cup MUST be preheated before adding the tea and water. I usually use a cup full of boiling water out of the kettle and leave the heat on low underneath the kettle while the cup gets good and hot.

Step 3: Pour the boiling water directly over the teabag and let steep for at least two full minutes. This part will require some experimentation until you find the strength that is right for you.

Step 4: Add Milk and/or Sugar as desired. Many black, herbal and leaf teas are refreshing without adding either. It is also important to not add milk until the tea is at your desired strength. The milk will immediately lower the temperature of the water and prevent the tea from brewing efficiently. Leaving the teabag in too long can result in the tea stewing. This can make the tea taste bitter.

Step 5: Wash your cup or mug out as soon as possible after drinking to prevent the tannin in the tea from staining your cups.

Hopefully by this time you can go back to what you were doing refreshed and reinvigorated with all your worldly problems solved.

Questions:

1/ What routines or rituals do you have during the day that help you stay organized and sane?

2/ Do the processes and routines you employ to produce your art transfer over in any practical way to other parts of your life?

Comments

There is one spell I know that might help but it involves me shagging a goat and then cutting its head off and drinking its blood. I've never tried it because I've never found a goat I didn't like enough to kill.